Life As We Knew it
by notthatplatypus
Summary: Jackie wakes up in her hotel room, realizing the massacare known as "season 8" was all a dream. Steven still loves her, Charlie's alive, and life has not gone to garbage.
1. Chapter 01

Ten…

Nine…

Eight…

Seven…

Six…

Five…

Four…

Three…

Two…

One…

The word one echoed in Jackie Burkhart's mind as she bolted upright in her bed. She looked around, and realized this wasn't her bed. It wasn't even her room. She was in her hotel room in Chicago, laying on top of the covers, using her copy of Vogue as her pillow. Memories flooded back to her, some from the previous days and some from her dream. She worked to sort it all out. _Charlie's still alive. Eric just left for Africa. There's no Randy. And Steven…_

Jackie didn't know what to say about Steven. She loved him. He didn't want to make a commitment. Steven. Samantha. Jackie felt a wave of nausea coming on as she remembered her dream. Sam the stripper. Hyde married her in Las Vegas. She was a total bitch. But everyone seemed to be fine with her. Then came Fez. _I kissed Fez! _But Jackie realized that she didn't feel anything in her dream kiss, but she felt lots of pain watching Steven kiss another girl.

_What caused all of this? Is it a sign from God or something? _Then she spotted the brown paper bag on the floor, crumpled up and empty. _Wow, this Chicago stuff's a lot stronger than what Steven buys. _

Jackie got up and she looked in the mirror. _Did I cry in my sleep? Because I look awful. _One hot shower later Jackie went over to her bag and sorted out the contents of the bag. Several pairs of clothes, her wallet, and her makeup case were in the bag. She unzipped one of the side pockets. In there was a black bundled up article of clothing. She shook it out, and let out a small gasp. It was Hyde's Led Zeppelin shirt, the one he gave her.

Jackie slid the shirt over her current clothes. The smell of soap, pot, and the Forman's basement overcame her senses. Tears filled her eyes. She missed Steven. Badly. _I really wish I was Dorothy right now. I could just click my heels together and be back in the basement. There really is no place like home…_

**T7S**

_" I wish I had 2000 feet so that I could stick 500 of them up each of your asses!"_ Red's words echoed in Hyde's ears. He wondered what the punishment for getting caught was this time. _Is Red gonna kick me out again? But he did let me come back after he learned it wasn't my fault last time. I hope he does let me stay, because being kicked out would suck. But I could sleep on the couch at the store. Jackie will flip out when she hears that I got caught. I wonder what she's going to do. Jackie. _Hyde wondered why she left, when he was gonna give her an answer, one that she would like. _But I could never let her know that beforehand. I shouldn't now. Zen. _Hyde's years of acting Zen kicked in, even though he was sitting in the El Camino alone.

_Whatever. She's forcing you to do this. Giving you an ultimatum_. But she has her reasons. Jackie had been left alone in Point Place after she asked Kelso to get married to her. And he ran away. She couldn't take the hurt of Hyde wanting to run away from her, to not be serious. To be a second Kelso. And Hyde knew that. So he was gonna give her some sort of answer. Hyde wasn't going to propose to Jackie that night, or do anything else drastic. But he did need to talk to her. And that required a trip to Chicago.

With one hand on the steering wheel of the El Camino and the other out the window, Hyde was enjoying the ride to Chicago. One of the cities radio stations had an hour of Zeppelin playing. A light rain was falling, but it wasn't that bad. As he passed through the outskirts of the city, he wondered if this was a bad decision.

_I bet she had one of her girly fantasies about my answer. She probably expected me to reply instantly with a "yes" and then propose to her that very second. Or somewhere else "romantic," you can never tell with her. I wonder what goes on inside of her head._ Hyde saw Jackie's hotel approaching out of the corner of his sunglasses. He parked, and searched for her room. _Room 1D. That's her room. She might be mad at you. Be careful. Be Zen._ He went up to her door and knocked on it.

**T7S**

Jackie was flipping through her magazine when she heard a knock at her door. The feeling of déjà vu entered her mind. She tried to shake the feeling _It's probably room service or something. _But when she opened the door to find Steven there, she couldn't contain her joy.

She threw her arms around him and left out a soft sigh. She had missed this feeling.

_He has no idea why I look so happy. _When Jackie realized this she quickly let go of him and regained her normal standing position. All of a sudden she realized that Michael could show up, her dream could have been a prediction of the future. Jackie looked around quickly, and pulled Steven into her hotel room and locked the door.

_Why did she hug me so quickly and act so happy? Is she not mad with me? That's a good sign. _Then Hyde saw what she was wearing. _My Zeppelin shirt. I thought she didn't want to wear it. Ever. _Then the realization hit Hyde. Hard. _She missed me. _

"Jackie…" Hyde began. He had no idea what to say to her. " I'm sorry I didn't come to talk to you earlier. I mean…"

" Steven, I'm sorry. I'm sorry I ever asked you to answer a hard question like this. I know you don't like answering emotional questions. And I'm sorry I hugged you, I know that you don't like that either. I just really missed you." She was staring at Hyde in disbelief. She also looked like she was going to cry.

" What happened? You're acting nothing like the Jackie I saw a few days ago in Point Place." about two seconds later Hyde realized he had made a mistake asking her such a question. The tears Jackie had been blinking back resurfaced. She threw herself into his arms and starting to talk through her tears.

" Steven, it was awful. Charlie died and you ran away and Michael moved and Randy came and you married a Vegas stripper and she LIVED with you and Bob moved and I liked Fez!" she buried her face into his shoulder. " It was awwwwfffulllllll" she wailed.

"What?" Hyde asked, then noticed the brown bag on the floor and Jackie in her pj's. She had had an awful dream of some sort. He sighed and let her cry into his shoulder. When she had finished he let her run off to the bathroom and clean herself up.

" So, Steven, why did you come?" She looked at him with eager eyes.

" Actually I came here to talk to you." Noting how vulnerable she looked when he was talking, he decided he was going to have to push all that zen away and tell her something only a person like Forman would say. "Jackie, I felt awful when you left without you receiving the answer you deserved. I don't know if this means that I want to make a long term commitment, but every time I think about my future, you're there with me." He didn't know why, but after saying that he felt a lot better. And apparently Jackie did too.

" Steven… that's the most romantic thing anyone has ever said to me!" she said. _Oh crap. now I've got her thinking I'm gonna be a softie for the rest of my life. Not happening, Jackie. _" I love youuu!" she cried into his shoulder, again. He sighed, just being glad to have his crazy but hot girlfriend back to being happy with him.

" Jackie, do you want to go get something to eat or something?" he wanted her to act normal, complain about his hair, try to get him to propose, those kind of things. Not be hugging him and be all " It's ok that you act like this, I just missed you too much to care." _It's funny how the grass isn't always greener…_

" Sure! Just let me go get ready, Puddin Pop!" _She really is crazy. But I like it._ Hyde looked around Jackie's room. He noticed she had tried to make it as much like home as possible. Stuffed unicorns were next to her bed, clothes were in the drawers, and she had a framed photo of her and him at the Forman's on her bedside table. He noticed that she looked genuinely happy, not even noticing her picture was being taken. He was playing with her hair in the photo.

Even though Jackie knew this wasn't a dream, as she came back from her bathroom and saw Steven she had to pinch herself to see if she was dreaming. She wasn't, and now she was a bit hurt from her pinch." Oh, Steven, Chicago has lots of restaurants. Which one will you take me to? Maybe you could even take me downtown! We could go and see that new worlds tallest building together. It would be super romantic!"

Instead of crushing her dreams of a fancy day, Hyde decided to take her out. "Jackie, grab your umbrella." Jackie slid on her coat, grabbed her umbrella, and hopped in the El Camino. Hyde followed. He drove through the downtown streets with Jackie resting her head on his shoulder.

"Ooh! That place looks perfect!" cried Jackie as she pointed towards a restaurant that had some sort of soft rock music playing and had a nice crowd.

" Finally, a decent place to eat."

"Steven, take your sunglasses off."

"No."

" Just do it!" she said in her shrill, whining voice. _She's finally acting normal._

" Fine." he sighed, and after he took them off she swiped them and put them in her coat pocket.

"Now, can you do something about your hair?" she started trying to brush his hair. He batted her hand away. Then he noticed the hurt look on her face. _That dream must've really shaken her up. Normally she doesn't care about any of this kind of stuff. _He let her continue.

The two of them hopped out of the El Camino and headed off towards the restaurant. Jackie slipped her hand into Hyde's and smiled. It was a perfect fit. They went inside and waited to be seated. Hyde finally decided to talk after they had been seated and ordered.

" So, can you explain this dream to me without crying?" He asked. Jackie proceeded and started to talk. He listened to Jackie's retelling of her dream and watched as she tried to not show how upset she was. She talked through the entire meal.

" So then Eric came back and we had one last circle and upstairs. We counted down and then I woke up, which was good because I could tell things were going to get worse if I hadn't."

Hyde stared at his girlfriend, wondering how her crazy little mind had came up with him going off to marry someone else, much less her. _That was her worst nightmare. Her worst nightmare is living without you. _With that realization he knew he wanted to be with Jackie Burkhart for as long as he could.

Hyde reached out across the table and grabbed Jackie's hand. He could tell how much she appreciated the gesture, because she smiled and grabbed his other hand.

" Hey, Steven, do you remember the time that Michael told us he would pay for a fancy dinner and then he made us dine and dash?" she asked as he paid the bill.

" Yeah, I remember that. Why are you bringing that up?"

" Steven, you're the first boyfriend I've ever had take me out for a fancy dinner and pay for it."

" Who said anything about me using real money?" he asked. She pouted. " Just kidding."

" You better be" she said, but she was smiling as she said that.

The couple walked the streets for a little bit, wondering how the Chicagoans didn't get lost every time they went downtown. After awhile of wandering the streets, the two got back to the El Camino and drove back to Jackie's.

" Steven" Jackie said as she opened her hotel room door " Will you stay tonight? It's getting late, and besides… I missed you."

" Fine, I'll stay. Besides, I heard it's supposed to be snowing in Point Place right now."

The two of them sat on Jackie's bed and watched some TV. Jackie switched the channel to the weather channel. "Steven, you were right. Look at how bad the weather is in Wisconsin."

" Yeah, I guess we're gonna be stuck here for awhile."

" So, what do you want to do now?" Jackie asked.

" I'm not opposed to doing it." Hyde said flatly

Jackie locked eyes with her boyfriend, raised an eyebrow, and without even saying anything to each other they were both running towards her bed.


	2. Chapter 02

Donna stared at the empty spot in the driveway where the Vista Cruiser should've been parked. Instead it was parked at the airport where Eric would soon be boarding a plane to Africa. Donna shivered. Rain was falling, and the temperature was dropping rapidly.

" Donna, dear, you can't stand out here in the rain for forever. Come inside, I made hot cocoa." it was Kitty. She looked sad, but she also looked determined. _I can't let Donna get depressed. I need to mother her, unlike her real mom._

Kitty poured some cocoa out of the pot and into a mug for Donna. She topped it off with whipped cream and some marshmallows.

" Some weather for March, huh?" Kitty let out a laugh, which she tended to do when she was uncomfortable.

" Eric's birthday's in March."

Kitty let out a small cry. "My baby boy is gone! I'm going to miss his birthday!" Now Donna was the one comforting Kitty.

" Why don't we turn on the TV or something to pass some time" Donna suggested, trying to get Kitty less upset. Donna brought Kitty into the living room and turned on the TV. The weather channel was on.

" Temperatures are expected to drop into the low twenties tonight, with an expected snowfall of at least 8 inches." The weatherman announced.

" Look Kitty, it's gonna snow!" Donna announced. Kitty liked the snow. It made the house look better.

" Donna?"

" Yes?"

" Be quiet." The two women sat in silence. Kitty got up and went to start dinner. A knock at the door brought Kitty back into the living room. She opened the door.

" Ai, it's snowing cats and dogs outside." It was Fez, covered in snow

.

" Fez, in America we say ' it's raining cats and dogs'. Not snowing." Kitty told him.

" But Miss Kitty, look outside." Fez pointed. " It's snowing!"

" Yes Fez, now come into my kitchen and drip water on the linoleum and not on my carpet. You can help me with dinner." Fez took off his coat and put it on the counter in the kitchen.

The two worked on dinner, with Donna watching them. The phone rang, and Kitty picked it up.

" Hello?" said Kitty

" Mom?" A familiar voice was on the other end.

" Eric! I thought you were supposed to be on a plane to Africa!"

" Bad news, with the rain the runways froze over and now the whole airport's shut down until they can thaw them out." He sounded stressed out.

" So my baby boy can stay home for a few more days!" Kitty jumped for joy.

" Yeah, I can. Red's pretty mad about all of this. He threatened to stick his foot up my ass because I wanted to borrow some change to call you. He's also mad because I was supposed to be punished for being caught by going to Africa."

" Sweetie, I don't care. You're going to be home!" Donna had been hearing Kitty's end of the conversation and when Kitty hung up Donna spoke.

" So, Eric's coming home?"

Kitty went over to Donna and hugged her. " He's going to be here in about an hour! You should be ready to see him."

Donna gently pulled herself away from Kitty. " Kitty, I don't care if he's coming home. It was hard for me to say goodbye to him once, I'm not going to do it again." With that she walked out the kitchen door.

Kitty looked around for Fez. He was nowhere to be seen. She sighed. She was lonely, with Steven in Chicago with Jackie and Red at the airport. Where was Schotzie when she needed him?

" Hey, Miss Kitty, look who I found at the front door!" Fez had just walked through the swinging door with Schotzie in his arms. He was soaking wet, and whimpering.

" My other baby!" She grabbed a towel from a cabinet and swaddled Schotzie. Fez continued dinner while Kitty dried the dog off and brushed him out. Fez had just pulled the dishes out of the cabinet when Kitty heard a car pull up in the driveway. She looked out the glass door, and saw a very angry Red yelling at Eric and telling him to carry his stuff into the house.

Kitty ran towards her son. She hugged him hard, not caring that she was getting covered in snow.

Fez ran to Eric and started to hug him.

" Fez, we discussed this. You aren't supposed to hug other guys." Eric said.

" Oh, Eric, I missed you very much."

" Fez, I've been gone for two hours."

" I don't care."

"Neither do I!" it was Kitty. "Fez and I made you a great dinner."

" Um, Mom, where's Donna?" Eric asked. He wanted to talk to her.

" Eric… she doesn't want to see you. She said something about it hurting her too much." Kitty shied away from Eric, expecting him to be upset.

" See, this dumbass has not only attempted to leave his girlfriend for a year, but he also upset her even more by coming back." Red said. " I can't believe he's my son."

" Well, I see why she's upset. I just wish she would come to see me." Eric looked sad, but he just went inside and grabbed a plate and headed for the kitchen table.

Dinner was eaten in silence. Kitty prepared a special dessert for Eric. After dinner Eric and Fez went down to the basement. " Don't do any drugs while you're down there!" Kitty called after them.

" I wonder whose...stuff that was?" Red asked Kitty as they got ready to go to bed that night.

" I bet it was Michael's. You can't trust him with anything that you can light." said Kitty.

" I think it was the foreigner's. He probably brought lots of that stuff with him from wherever he's from." Red added.

Kitty gasped. " What if it was Steven's? or Eric's?"

" Last time I scared those two dumbasses straight with a threat. If it was either of theirs, I'm going to find a way to stick both of my feet up both their asses at the same time."

" Yeah, I suppose you're right." Kitty said as she drifted off to sleep.

**T7S**

"Hey, Fez?" Eric asked. "Where's Hyde?"

" He went off to Chicago to be with Jackie. He's not back yet.

" I bet they're doing it. I wanna be doing it with Donna."

" Shut up." Eric started to whine, and Fez got up. "I am going to leave now. So good day."

"But Fez-"

"I said good day!" With that he walked out the basement door and over to Donna's.

" Fez, what are you doing here?" asked Donna.

" I was stuck being with your upset 'boyfriend'. Get over there now, because he's miserable. I don't care about your feelings, just do it!"

" You expect me to go see someone who ruined my year and go and do it with him, then you should get bent."

" he needs someone there. Since Hyde's in Chicago, Jackie with him, and I'm done with this, you're next. Go and hang out with him. He's savoring this extra time he has here, and you're letting it go to waste!"

She let the words sink in. "Wait, Hyde went to Chicago and hasn't came back? I wonder what Jackie did to him."

" Donna, that's not my point. Now come on, get over to his house."

" Fine. Whatever." Fez grabbed Donna's hand and dragged her over to Eric's in the freezing cold. She opened the door to find Eric curled up on the couch in fetal position on the basement couch. He looked up.

"Donna!" he cried, and ran up to her.

" You do understand why I didn't come earlier, right?" she asked. Eric nodded. " Well good, because I'm cold. And I want to use some of this little time we have...warming up, if you know what i mean. Fez, leave. Now." he ran up the stairs, stopping at the landing. Donna threw her shoe at him. "I'm sorry Eric, I was just upset earlier. And you know how I am when I'm upset."

" Well I'm just glad you're here." he said, and the two began to kiss each other on the couch, while Fez secretly watched.


	3. Chapter 03

The next morning, Eric, Fez, Kitty, Red, and Donna were sitting at the kitchen table eating breakfast. Kitty had just sat down and grabbed a fork when the phone rang. She got up to answer it.

" Hello?" she asked.

" Kitty? I heard about the airport problems in Wisconsin on the news. Is Eric alright?" It was Bea Sigurdson, also known as Kitty's mother.

" Mom! Hi. Yes, Eric's ok, he's sitting here in the kitchen right now."

" Well, good, because I want to visit him."

Kitty gasped. Her mother actually wanted to visit Wisconsin. After Burt died, she spent all her time out in Arizona, hanging out with the blind Indian with three fingers. The ostrich farm was going to waste, although there was a good amount of land there to be used. She was finally able to speak after a temporary silence.

" So, how would you get here? The airport's closed."

" I'd take a Greyhound. Nothing can stop me from seeing my Eric, or Red, and that other boy, Stephen or something.

_What about me? _thought Kitty. _Doesn't she miss me?_

" I'll be there in two days" she said, then hung up the phone.

**T7S**

Jackie and Hyde were wrapped up under the covers, where Jackie was shivering next to Hyde. " I'm cold." she whined.

" Well, then why don't you put on some decent clothes?" suggested Hyde.

Jackie sighed and grabbed her Zeppelin shirt off her nightstand. After slipping it on under the covers, she turned to face Hyde. " Well, maybe we should talk. I mean, what's gonna happen to all of us with Eric gone? We all hung out at his house. You were his best friend." She gasped. " What if, now that Eric's gone, Red kicks you out? I can't tell people I have a homeless boyfriend!"

" Jackie, calm down. Nothing's gonna happen. Kitty loves having someone around to take care of. The dog stays under the house, so I'm next on the list of things to take care of."

" Well, can we at least call them? You know, to see if Eric got to Africa ok?"

" Jackie, its been 12 hours. He's probably stuck at a layover airport."

" Well, let's see if he called Kitty." Hyde sighed. He knew there was no way he was going to win this argument. Jackie picked up the hotel phone, hit the speaker button, and dialed the number she knew by heart.

" Hello?" said Kitty, who sounded annoyed.

" Hey, Kitty, it's me, Jackie! I just wanted to know how Eric's doing. Did he call you or anything?"

Kitty laughed, realizing that Jackie had no idea what happened. She started to explain, stopping to let Jackie and Hyde explain their night, with certain details left out.

" So, are you guys going to come home today?" she asked.

" Well, I wanted to see some more of Chicago," said Jackie, not getting a chance to say anymore because Kitty cut in.

" So you're saying you'd rather be in some dumb old town then get the chance to see my child again before he leaves for a year?" Kitty demanded. " He could die over there!"

Hyde nudged Jackie out of the way and walked closer to the phone. Before Jackie could say anything back to Kitty he picked up the phone, taking it off of speaker as he did so.

" We'll be there by tonight." Hyde replied, listening to Kitty's response. He put down the phone and went over to Jackie. She looked annoyed.

" I wanted to stay! Eric's still going to be home tomorrow." She went on and on about her shopping in the city, and not having been here for awhile.

To Hyde's surprise, he found himself replying to her. " We can go some other time," he told her. What was happening to his zen?

Jackie squealed with delight, and went to pack up her stuff, but not before giving Hyde a quick kiss and a smile. It was the kind that made him feel like he had just had some of Kitty's hot cocoa inside.

**T7S**

Hyde and Jackie were on the highway home. She was in the passenger seat, leaning against his shoulder. He gently hit the radio power button, and was surprised to hear Tiny Dancer playing.

" I love this song," Jackie murmured, not letting her head leave his side. He filed that information away for later.

_Hold me closer tiny dancerCount the headlights on the highwayLay me down in sheets of linenyou had a busy day today_

As Hyde felt Jackie go limp on his shoulder, he realized she had fallen asleep. He wouldn't let any nightmares haunt her tonight. He would wake her when they got back to the Forman's. Until then, he would let her sleep.

**T7S**

As Jackie and Hyde walked through the kitchen door, Kitty ran up to them wearing an apron and rubber gloves. She handed a bottle of Windex to Hyde, and gave Jackie a sponge mop.

" Good, good, you're back! We need you to clean, clean, clean! My mother's visiting!" said Kitty. " I need some emergency bourbon," she said.

Behind her was Fez, who was cleaning out the fridge. Donna was cleaning the countertops, and in the other room was Eric, who was picking up knick knacks and dusting them.

" Don't break my Shirley Temple figurine!" she called into the living room. " Oh, for God's sake, let me do it!" Kitty walked into the living room.

" Steven, I'm scared," squeaked Jackie.

" I need a circle," he told her.

Kitty walked back into the room. " What happened to cleaning?" she asked, shaking her curls as she yelled.

" Umm, how do I work this thing?" asked Jackie. Kitty gave her a death stare, while Hyde went and plugged the sink and turned the water on.

" Just wipe it back and forth across the floor after dunking it in the water," he said, then grabbed a bottle of soap from under the sink and poured it into the water.

" Ooh, Hyde knows how to clean," mocked Fez, even though he himself was wiping out the fridge.

Donna just laughed. " Kitty will kill all of us if she comes back in here and it's not spotless," she told the rest of them.

For the next hour the gang did housework while Kitty cooked. She rewarded them with a plate of cookies, which she made them eat on the porch, even though it was freezing out.

" So, what happened to Kelso?" inquired Hyde.

" He left to build a snowman," said Donna.

Fez decided to go home for the night, mainly to check on Kelso. He had a tendency to lick poles and get stuck to them. Donna and Eric went up to his room for some " alone time," as Donna put it.

" Steven, it's cold out here. Can we go inside?" asked Jackie.

" Whatever." he paused. " I mean, sure…" he said, remembering how sensitive she had become.

The two walked through the basement door. Jackie snuggled up next to Hyde on the couch as the two watched whatever happened to be on TV at the time. He would never admit it to anyone, but when the two of them acted like this he felt like they were Kitty and Red, just watching TV and hanging out, but he wasn't married to her.

At least, not yet.

After an hour or so he saw Jackie asleep next to him. " Hey, Jackie?" he said, gently nudging her awake.

" Hrmm?" she asked, half asleep.

" Do you want to stay here tonight? I mean, since it's cold out and snowy and all, you know," said Hyde.

Her sleepy eyes brightened. " Sure," she said, and went out and got her bag from the El Camino. After taking off socks and shoes, she threw on Hyde's Zeppelin shirt and climbed into bed next to him.

She loved having a boyfriend that would let her sleep over without asking for sex. As she burrowed into the covers, she wondered if this was what married life was like. She shooed that thought away. Jackie was very content with what she had, and as she drifted off to sleep she knew that life could never be more perfect.


	4. Chapter 04

Hyde woke up with Jackie's warm body pressed up next to him, which was nice considering the temperature of the basement. Jackie yawned and rolled over, making eye contact with Hyde.

" Morning, Pudding Pop," she said, still drowsy. He smiled. Early mornings were the least Zen time for them, mainly because Hyde refused to wear his sunglasses to sleep.

" Hey, Jackie." He paused. " Do I smell bacon?"

" Yeah, I do too! But I smell a bunch of other stuff too." Jackie looked puzzled.

They both went upstairs to the kitchen. Kitty was in there with all her baking stuff out, and a huge amount of food on the table. Bacon, pancakes, Monte Crisco's, mashed potatoes, cookies, devilled eggs, everything you could ask for was there.

" Come in, kids! I made food!" chirped Kitty. She didn't even seem to notice that Jackie was wearing Hyde's clothes, or that Eric and Donna hadn't been around since last night.

" Didn't she do this when Red's mom died?" Jackie whispered to Hyde.

" Yeah, I think it's her way of dealing with stress." he whispered back.

Donna and Eric came down the stairs, took one look at Kitty, realized what was going on, and just decided to go with it. As the food was being served, Kelso, Charlie, and Fez ran into the kitchen, grabbed plates, and devoured the food without a second thought of where it came from.

" Kitty, you just baited our house for dumbasses with all this food!" exclaimed Red, but he grabbed a plate and got some bacon anyways.

" So, should I pick up Grandma from the bus stop?" asked Eric.

" Fine. But have Donna go with you. The last time I left you alone in a car with a grandparent, they died! And you," he pointed to Jackie. " Wear some of your own clothes when Bea comes to visit."

Jackie blushed, and turned her attention to Kelso and Fez's conversation.

"So, Kelso, what are we going to do today?" asked Fez.

" Well, I have to go down to the police academy today." he said using his superior voice.

" Can I come with you?" asked Charlie.

" Sure. You could keep me from blowing stuff up."

The three boys left, but not before they loaded Tupperware containers with food.

" So, what time do we go to pick up your grandma?" asked Donna.

" About noon." stated Eric.

" Noon!" cried Kitty. " That means I have to put the casserole in the oven now!" She ran over to the fridge and got cooking.

Jackie and Hyde went back downstairs, with Eric and Donna heading back upstairs.

**T7S **

Charlie, Fez, and Kelso were sitting on a bench inside the police station. Fez had a bunch of cookies out and was munching on them. Kelso was fiddling with his badge, while Charlie was taking in all the sights and sounds in this new place.

" Wow, I've never been to a police station before." he told the guys.

" You've got to be kidding me. You haven't ever gotten arrested?" said Fez.

" Nope. But I have seen the inside of a police car before, when there was one at our block party a few years ago."

" You need to live a little!" yelled Kelso. " You know, like party and get drunk, not just sit around and get drunk, while listening to Hyde blabber on." His voice rose. " Man, we need to plan you a party!"

" Fine, fine, I'll do something 'exciting'. What's her name?" he pointed to a girl facing the counter up front.

Kelso didn't have to answer him, for as soon as she turned around Fez shouted " Suzy!" and went up to attempt to hug her. She gently pushed him away and looked behind Fez.

At the same time Charlie looked up. Gently brushing Fez aside, she went over to him.

" Hey," said Charlie, clearly nervous. " I'm Charlie."

" Suzy Simpson." she said, with false authority. He blushed.

" H-how do you know Fez and Kelso?" he squeaked, and mentally smacked himself for sounding so odd.

" Well, Michael and I were both training together. And, umm, Fez came with us on a date and shot a bunny." she frowned at the memory.

" No! Fez, how could you?" he asked, feeling awful for a poor, innocent rabbit.

" He made a good meal," offered Fez. It didn't help the situation.

" Come on Kelso, let's go somewhere else. Away from the people that pity a rabbit! In my country if you pitied every creature you would have died from starvation long ago! " they stormed off.

" So, umm, that was awkward." Suzy managed to finally say.

" Yeah," he said, and nervously laughed.

As the two continued their conversation, they opened up to each other a bit more. By the time Charlie had to leave, he felt as if doing something 'adventurous' had its own advantages. As he was heading out the door to go back to the Forman's, he felt a hand grab his own.

" Wait," said Suzy, and pulled a pen out of her pocket. She then flipped Charlie's hand over, and wrote something on his hand. He looked down. It was her phone number. This was the first time any girl had given him her phone number.

As Suzy walked away, she had a smile on her face. For once she had found a nice guy who wasn't a jerk underneath. All she hoped was that Charlie felt the same way, and didn't have a kid or a marriage.

**T7S**

" Hey, Eric, is that her?" asked Donna as she pointed to a lady getting off a bus.

" Nope." said Eric. He turned to see a bus pulling up behind him. " I bet that's her."

As the bus pulled up, Eric felt the need to make the most of this visit. He hadn't seen his grandma in a year, and he wouldn't get to see her for another. When Bea walked down the bus steps and over to the bag storage, Eric grabbed Donna's hand and the two ran over to her.

" Gramma!" exclaimed Eric. He walked up to her, and hugged her.

" Eric, how are you?" she asked, and mildly returned the hug. " I heard you're going to Africa, and I wanted to give you something before you left." she reached into her pocket and pulled out a dream catcher. " My Indian friend made this for you once he heard about Africa. I'll tell you more about him at your mother's house.

" Hi Ms. Sigurdson" said Donna.

" Oh, it's you. I thought Eric was gay," Bea responded.

" No, no, he just ran away from the wedding and Kitty said he was gay to hide her disappointment in her son." Donna responded coldly, but the coldness was directed at Eric.

He didn't seem to take notice of this, and instead of responding picked up Bea's bag. As he carried it to the Vista Cruiser Donna decided to forgive him. She wasn't ready either. But why did he have to pawn the ring? Was he never going to propose again?

The drive home was filled with silence between the couple, but their silence was filled with Bea talking about Arizona. As they pulled up in the driveway, Donna saw Kitty's figure move in the kitchen and head to the screen door.

"Mom!" cried Kitty, and ran over to the car. " I made casserole!"

Bea hopped out of the car, grabbed her bag, and went inside. Donna and Eric followed. Sitting at the table were Jackie and Hyde.

" Hey Forman." said Hyde.

" Donna! Mrs. Forman made me clean all morning!" exclaimed Jackie.

" Big deal." she muttered, clearly annoyed with the younger girl's behavior.

" Well, it is a big deal! She's mad because Red left an hour ago to get more Comet and hasn't came back. And she made us clean up what he was supposed to!" Jackie whined.

" Alright, alright, stop fighting! We can't have a girl fight with my grandma around! Take it to the basement, where we will watch." Eric said. Hyde frogged him on the arm.

" Alright, that's enough fighting for today," said Kitty, who then proceeded to laugh nervously.

Of course, Fez, Kelso, and Charlie decided that that would be a wonderful time to come home, and as the three of them ran through the door, Kelso still in his uniform, all Bea could do was stare as they ran down to the basement.

" I need a drink." Kitty muttered under her breath. " One of you," she pointed to everyone in the kitchen, " better find Red. Now." her tone of voice sent chills down everyone's spine.

" I'll check Price Mart." said Hyde.

" I'm going with you." replied Jackie quickly, and the two ran to the El Camino to check for Red.

" I'll go to the muffler shop," said Donna, and ran over to her house to get her car.

" I'm afraid." squeaked Eric.

" Eric, keep your grandmother company while I finish preparing the casserole." Kitty yelled through the swinging door.

Eric went outside to the chairs and sat down. Bea followed.

" So, honey, why are you going to Africa?" she asked. " Are you running away from Kitty?"

" No!" exclaimed Eric. " It's nothing like that. I just can't afford college and this program will pay for your tuition if you teach in Africa for a year."

" Well, if it's a money problem with getting to college, then maybe I could help you. I have missed the snow."

" Grandma, what are you saying?" he asked, but before she could respond the Toyota pulled up in the driveway, followed by the El Camino.

" He was in the hardware section." Jackie said, and sighed. Red got out of his car, and walked over to Eric.

" Oh, damn, I forgot the Comet." he said when he saw the door in the kitchen swing. As he attempted to turn around, Jackie grabbed Red's arm until Kitty could get through the glass door.

" Red, how nice of you to join us," Kitty said in her I'm-being-nice-we-have-company-but-you'll-pay-later voice.

" Well, Eric, as I was saying, I'm thinking of selling the ostrich farm and moving to Wisconsin. The rest of the money I get from the farm can go to your college tuition. That way you don't have to go to Africa!" said Bea, who clapped her hands in a Kitty like fashion.

" What?"


	5. Chapter 05

3 weeks later

April 5th, 1979

Phoenix, Arizona

Bea's ostrich farm

" Grandma, I didn't know you had all this stuff," exclaimed Eric. He picked up a box and grunted.

" Move it, Erica." said Jackie, who took the box and placed it in the back of the El Camino. Hyde took it and put it into a proper place.

" Nice burn." he said

" Thanks," she replied.

The couples of the gang were in Arizona, helping Bea move to Point Place. She found a home quickly, and the ostrich farm sold even quicker. It turned out that Burt had done something right and bought a piece of land worth a _lot_ of money.

So, three weeks after Bea had decided to move to Wisconsin, Kitty had sent the kids on a road trip to help her move. Jackie had decided to come with, and so had Donna.

" Okay, we have to load the rest of the boxes in the back of Hyde's car, tie them down, and we're good to go." declared Donna.

" I call riding with my Puddin Pop!" shouted Jackie.

" She calls you _Puddin Pop_?" exclaimed Bea.

Hyde tried to laugh it off, but failed.

While back in Point Place, Eric had called and cancelled his trip to Africa. Both him and Donna were set to start at the University of Wisconsin in the fall.

" Donna, do you have everything loaded in the car?" asked Bea.

" Almost, we just have to get ready for our road trip back," she said. " You're riding with me and Eric, and Jackie's riding with Puddin Pop."

Eric picked up a tarp, handed it to Hyde, and the two began to cover the boxes and strap them down. As they did that, Bea went to say goodbye to the blind Indian. She came back as Eric was starting the car.

Donna opened her car door and got in. Eric hopped in the drivers seat, and Bea got in the back with her bag. Jackie and Hyde went over to the El Camino, and they got ready to go.

" So, we're stopping in Texas for the night? Same place as last time?" Eric yelled out his window.

" Whatever, sure," said Hyde.

As they pulled off the farm and drove down the rural road, time passed for the couples. Both Jackie and Hyde's thoughts wandered to the events that had led them here.

**1 Week Earlier**

**The Forman Kitchen**

Eric, Hyde, Donna, and Jackie were sitting at the kitchen table waiting for the breakfast Kitty had prepared for them. She had been talking about it for a few days.

Bea had gone home to Arizona to pack up and get ready to move as soon as the airport opened up.

" So," said Kitty, setting down the platter of pancakes in the middle of the table. Everyone started to dig in. Hyde realized a few bites too late that they were Swedish pancakes.

" Who's up for a road trip?" asked Kitty.A chorus of groans came from the table.

" Who wants to drive to Arizona to help my mother move?" she asked, drawing out the ve, in the word move.

Before anyone could respond, she replied, " I made you pancakes, so eat them and get packing to go."

" Well, my grandma _is_ paying for my college," said Eric.

" I'm coming with you," said Donna.

" Steven, you're going too. You have the best car for moving."

" But Mrs. Forman, she's not my grandma." he replied.

" Steven, we took you into our home and made you part of our family, which means she's part of your family too. Would you not help your own grandmother move?" asked Kitty.

" I guess I'll help," he said.

" I'm coming too. I don't want you alone in the southwest, ever." Jackie said.

" No." said Hyde.

" Pwease?" she said, and stuck out her bottom lip and pouted.

Hyde remembered her awful dream from a few weeks before, with the Vegas and all, and sighed. " Fine, you can come," he said.

She clapped her hands together. " Oh, thank you Steven! I gotta go pack." she kissed him on the cheek. " Love you," she said, and then walked out of the kitchen, bouncing on her heels.

" Awwww," said Donna, Eric, and Kitty together.

" Hey," said Hyde, leaving the threat unfinished.

" I'm going to call my mother. You guys be ready to leave this afternoon." Kitty said to them.

" I'll be back later." said Donna, who then followed Jackie out to her house.

Eric went upstairs to pack, while Hyde went downstairs to do the same.

Speaking to himself, Eric recited the things he would need out loud.

" Tee shirts, yes. Pants, yes, toothbrush, yes. Star Wars action figures? _Yes._" He pulled a second bag out of his closet and swept his hand across the shelf, knocking them all into the bag.

Meanwhile Hyde had been downstairs, doing his own type of packing. After putting a few pairs of jeans and a stack of band shirts in a bag, he took a week's worth of "film" and it in the pile. Zipping the bag, he took it upstairs at put it in his car. Eric was doing the same.

Tossing her bag under the seat, Jackie skipped over to Hyde, who was taking a bag from Kitty. She handed a map to both Jackie and Donna, and for the next 20 minutes or so the four of them coordinated when and where to stop.

As they got up to get going, Fez and Kelso came by. " All right! Road trip!" he shouted.

" You three," said Kitty, " Are not going."

" Aw, man!" said Kelso.

" Come on, lets go find Charlie and Suzy.

" Wait, Suzy Simpson? The Charlie's Angels hater?" asked Jackie.

" Yeah, he met her at the police station and the two have been inseparable. Its weird." said Fez.

" Yeah yeah, that's great. Come on Jackie, you can gossip later, we have to get going." said Hyde.

She let out an overdramatic sigh and followed Hyde to the car. Hopping in, she hit the radio dial and changed the station from WFPP to some crap disco music.

" No." he said.

" Pwease?" she asked

" No."

" 1 song?" now she was compromising.

" Fine."

" Yay!" she clapped her hands together.

As he pulled out of the Forman's driveway and onto the main street, he wondered why he agreed. Jackie was next to him, bopping her head to the music and singing.

After her lame song was over, Hyde, changed the station back to something 'decent'. Jackie took a bottle of nail polish out of her bag and started doing her nails.

A few hours had passed when they saw Eric and Donna pull over to a rest stop at the Illinois/Missouri border. Pulling over, Eric got four bags of chips from the vending machine inside of the building. He got a window table for the four of them, and they ate the sandwiches Kitty had packed them while watching the setting sun.

Jackie picked carefully at her sandwich, while Donna was absorbed in a book she had for the car ride. Hyde just focused on his food, while Eric's mind kept wandering to his figurines in the back seat.

" So, I think we should stop in St. Louis for the night," said Eric, who laid the map out in front of them. " There's a phone book at the front desk, we could look for hotels to stay in."

" Yeah, I would way rather stay in a nice hotel than sleep in Steven's car. I'm sorry, but _anything_ laying in that car just is not comfortable." said Jackie.

Hyde was waiting for someone to shout out 'BURN!", but it didn't come. He than realized that Fez and Kelso were the reason this trip was so boring.

Finishing up their makeshift dinner, the partial gang went back to their cars. As they got into the city, they passed a rather nice looking hotel, just like the one back in Point Place that Hyde used to work at.

As they pulled the car over, Jackie gathered up her stuff and got ready to go inside. Donna did the same in her car with Eric.

Hyde got a room for him and Jackie, and Eric did the same with Donna.

The two groups went to their respective rooms, and both took that time to relax.

" I can't believe it was just this morning that I was planning on going shopping all day. And look where I am now!" exclaimed Jackie as she brushed her hair. She had already changed into her pj's and was sitting cross-legged on the bed.

" Yeah, that's great," mumbled Hyde, not listening at all to what she had to say.

" Steven, did you hear me?" she asked, her voice high pitched.

" Mhm" he said.

" What was I talking about?" she demanded.

He figured he should just take a guess and see what happened. " Um, clothing?" he said.

" Close enough. Aw, you do listen to me! That is so sweet. I love that you do that, which means that you love to listen to me. I finally have someone to talk to!"

He groaned.

**T7S**

Meanwhile, the not so happy couple in the other room was having a boring night. Donna was curled up on the chair in their room, while Eric was on the floor, sorting his Star Wars figurines.

" Come on, Donna, don't be mad. Please? They're just figurines. Under his breath, he whispered to the figurines "I'm sorry."

" I'm not mad," she said, which by now Eric knew meant she was mad.

" Donna, I know that means that you are. The only reason I brought them with was so my dad didn't throw them out."

" I know that's a lie, but it's a pretty good one, so I'm going to pretend to believe it." she said. " Well, whatever. I'm off to go see what Jackie's doing." she said.

Donna got up and went to Jackie's room, only to be greeted by the blabbering of Jackie. " And then she.." Donna tuned it out and looked at Hyde. He was off in his own little world, nodding occasionally, sunglasses on. Her night was probably better than this. Before Jackie could spot her, she left.

**T7S**

The next day greeted them with a long drive from Missouri to Texas, where they would stop again for the they left, they loaded up on vending machine snacks.

Jackie slept for a good portion of this drive, while Donna read magazines she had bought at the hotel gift shop.

When Jackie was up, it was around lunchtime. Eric had decided to stop at a diner in Oklahoma, the state they had just entered.

As they were waiting for their food, Eric sang softly to himself " Oklahoma, where the winds come sweeping down the plains." Hyde frogged him in the arm.

After eating, Donna ran to the Vista Cruiser and gave Jackie her book. She decided to take it, especially considering the time left until Texas. Although it was all about a bunch of feminist garbage, Jackie read it. By the time they were getting ready to find a place to stay for the night, Jackie had kept herself entertained.

That night was pretty much a repeat of the night before for Jackie and Hyde, and Eric had enough sense to leave his Star Wars stuff in the car. Donna was pleased by this, and she made sure they had a better night.

When the gang left for Arizona the next morning, they were happy and rested, and prepared for the challenges that lay ahead of them.


	6. Chapter 06

" Steven, Steven, look! It's the sign for the ostrich farm!" cried Jackie enthusiastically. By the 3rd day, both Jackie and Hyde were bored out of their minds from the drive. Jackie had been pointing out anything interesting along the way, and it had gotten annoying.

" Yeah, Jackie, I see it. Chill out." Hyde responded. Pulling the El Camino onto the road with the sign, he saw fences along the side of the road, which he assumed was where the ostriches would roam free. And then, in the distance, he saw the coyote farm.

As the road turned, he saw a house. Hyde watched as Donna pulled Eric's luggage into the house, and Eric dragged his Star Wars bag behind him.

When he pulled the vehicle to a stop, Jackie flew out her door and onto the ground with unsteady legs. As she walked ahead, he heard her cry out " Land, sweet land! I never thought I could love dirty ground this much!"

He chuckled. Ever since Chicago she had been acting a bit different. Whether it was the spring in her step when she was around him, or her acts of random kindness, everything seemed to revolve around him. Not that he didn't mind _that_, but she had changed.

And it was for the better.

**T7S**

Donna Pinciotti stretched out in her bed, ready for a new day. Her left hand smacked Eric in the face, and her right knocked a clock off a nightstand next to her.

Then she remembered. She was in Arizona. Looking over, she saw that Eric was still sleeping, so she got out of bed.

Heading into the kitchen, she saw Jackie sitting at the table, sipping a cup of tea while looking hungrily at the fridge.

" Jackie, what's wrong?" she asked, and soon realized she shouldn't have.

" Donna, I'm so hungry! All there is in the fridge is eggs! I'm not touching something that came from a chicken's butt!" she exclaimed, and stomped her foot for emphasis.

" What about that time you gave Kelso that egg?" Donna asked.

" I wore gloves. Whatever. Now make me something to eat!" she exclaimed.

" Okay," said Donna, an idea forming in her mind. "I'll make the eggs if you get all the other ingredients."

" Like what?" asked Jackie.

" Butter, salt, oil, a pan, a spatula. You know. That kind of stuff." Donna replied.

" Oh," said Jackie, who set out to grab things. As Donna cracked the eggs into a bowl, she set one aside in a hand towel.

" Okay. I think I have everything." she said to Donna.

" Not yet. You forgot something," responded Donna

" Milk?"

" Nope"

" Jam?"

" Nuh-uh,"

" Can you make eggs 'special'?" asked Jackie.

Donna laughed. " No. but how about if you close your eyes and I give it to you so you can try to guess."

" Ummm, ok?" she said, and shut her eyes. Donna heard the soft padding of footsteps behind her, and turned around. Seeing Hyde, she put a finger to her lips and motioned for him to come closer.

Dropping the egg into Jackie's hands, she watched her try to figure out what it was. She must have peeked, because Donna wasn't expecting her to shriek and drop the egg on Donna's feet. Kicking Donna in the shin, she stomped away to Hyde, who was chuckling at the sight of the two of them.

" Steven, Donna gave me an egg! Now I have to go sterilize my hands!" she whined. " It's not funny!" She kicked him, and he winced.

As she walked away, Donna heard the shower turn on in the bathroom. " Yeah, that's the old her," muttered Hyde.

" What?" asked Donna.

" Nothing, nothing." Hyde replied.

Donna had an apology breakfast made for Jackie, and when she came back from the bathroom set it down on the table. Hyde shrugged to her, and they both sat down to eat.

**T7S**

**Now**

Jackie reflected on the rest of the week, like the hard labor, the hilarious pranks played on one another, and the downtime. It was a long few days, but they were finally home. Hyde had enjoyed her company, oddly enough.

Stepping out of the El Camino for what felt like the thousandth time, Jackie walked through the door into the kitchen, where she saw Eric being hugged by a very familiar blonde. Red was standing to the side of Eric, watching the scene unfold.

" Little brother! I missed you!" she squealed.

Laurie.


	7. Chapter 07

" See, Eric, your sister's back!" said Red. Eric turned around, put his hands together, and made a pleading motion to Donna.

" And Hy- Steven, how could I forget about you?" she asked, and went in to hug him.

" Nope." he replied, stepping back. " I don't know if any of your diseases can be transmitted by contact."

He knew something was up. Everyone did. Except Red. Laurie kept her fake smile plastered on her face.

" Well," said Red, breaking the silence, " Kitty and I will take Bea to her new place and help her unpack. Kitty's upstairs. She should be down in a minute." He left.

The instant Laurie heard the door to the Toyota open, she jumped back from them as if they were rats.

" I saw Kelso in Chicago. All it took was a little bookcase moving for him to tell me all about Grandma." said Laurie. " I can't believe she had so much money. And she spent it on you!" she exclaimed.

" Hey, hey!" said Eric. " I'm worth it!"

" Well I better be worth something too!" she replied. " I need some money."

" What, to treat your VD?" asked Hyde.

" What's up with you and all the VD jokes?" inquired Laurie.

" I need to make up for lost time."

Stomping out of the kitchen and through the swinging doors, she almost knocked into her mother.

" Red, Laurie's ba-" she started, but stopped when she saw who was in the kitchen. " My babies!" she exclaimed, kissing them all on the top of the head. " How was your trip? Are you hungry? Tired? Oh, I have to go help my mother, but I want to talk to all of you when I get back!" She dashed out the door.

Running back inside she yelled out " There's salad in the fridge if you want any!" and left again.

Jackie was the first to speak. " _Michael _told Laurie about Eric's grandma?"

" I bet they knew each other _well_." stated Hyde.

" I think we pissed him off not letting him come with us. Same for Fez," said Donna.

" I know we did." said Eric.

" I think we can fix this," said Hyde, " With beer at the water tower and a circle."

" And candy and firecrackers." added Jackie.

" And candy and firecrackers," said Hyde. " I have the first two in the basement. Jackie, you get the candy. Eric, you get the firecrackers. I'll meet you all at the water tower at eight."

**T7S**

" You sonofabitches!" exclaimed Fez. Night had fallen, and everyone except Charlie was at the base of the water tower. . Jackie had " accidentally" forgotten to tell him about it.

" Fez, we're sorry you couldn't come," said Eric.

" So we got you this," added Jackie, who presented him a paper bag. His scowl turned to a grin as he saw what was in the bag.

" I'm so sorry I was ever mad at my best friends!" he chirped, then ripped open a pack of Skittles and poured some in his mouth.

Hyde climbed the tower, with Jackie on his heels. Then Eric and Donna. Fez was after them, for he had stopped to eat a Snickers bar.

When Kelso came up, she announced to everyone about how he was busy.

" How the hell could you find my sister!" screeched Eric. Donna grabbed him by the back of the shirt.

" Later." she whisper hissed to him.

" We got you firecrackers," said Donna, who took the bag from Eric and gave it to Kelso.

" Wow, this is awesome!" he said, forgetting the last weeks worth of events.

_Is it just me, or is Michael getting dumber? _Thought Jackie.

He grabbed a beer from where Hyde had set them at Jackie's feet. Jackie bent down and passed one to Hyde.

" Hey, guys, what do you think would happen if I set one off from up here?" asked Kelso.

"NO!" everyone yelled. Startled by the noise, Fez dropped his Fun Dip off the side of the water tower.

He yelled a swear word in his own language. Before anyone could reply, a loud **BANG! **was heard from Kelso. He had set the firecracker off.

Fez jumped forward, slamming into an unsteady Jackie. She slipped forward into the railing with just enough force to go freefalling forward.

**T7S**

_Don't land like Charlie did. _was one of the first thoughts racing through Jackie's mind. She didn't have to worry much, because her foot caught on one of the branches of a tree. She flipped, and landed on her back, the wind knocked out of her.

Hearing the sound of footsteps near her, she managed a laugh at the irony of the situation. It hurt to laugh. Pushing herself into a sitting position, she saw Hyde and Donna running to her.

" Jackie, are you alright?" asked Donna.

" I think so," she replied, winded.

The look of relief on Hyde's face was soon gone, for as soon as Jackie tried to stand up she crumpled. Crying out a word he had never heard her use, he assumed she wasn't okay.

" M-my ankle," she cried out.

Hyde scooped her up like one would carry a young child, and she buried her face in his shoulder. As Kelso finally came down to see what had happened, Fez and Eric followed him.

Having no free hands to hit him with, Hyde kicked Kelso as hard as he could.

" Damn, Hyde," he said, hopping on one foot. " Are you taking lessons from Jackie?"

" You deserve it! You bring Laurie back, and almost kill my girlfriend!" he exclaimed, kicking him in the other leg for good measure.

" Hey," said Fez, " I hate to interrupt, but have any of you seen my Fun Dip?" asked Fez

.

" Jackie, we should have Mrs. Forman check you out," said Donna.

" Um, okay?" replied Jackie.

" We need to call her," stated Eric.

**T7S**

That was how they ended up at The Hub.

Jackie was sitting on one of the benches with her leg also on the bench, a bag of ice from the back on it.

Eric was at the pay phone, trying to get a hold of his parents. He didn't know his grandmas new number, so he dialed home and prayed for an answer.

Someone picked up on the third ring.

" Hello?" he asked.

" Eric." stated Laurie.

" Devil." he replied. " Is mom home?"

" She's still at Grandmas." said Laurie. " Now, if you excuse me, I have some quality _bonding _time to do with my grandma."

Click.


	8. Chapter 08

" So, Grandma, how was life at the ostrich farm?" asked Laurie. She was on a mission for money. Having been rudely interrupted by Eric calling, she decided to try harder.

" It was well," replied Bea. Two could play at this game.

" Was it a big farm?" inquired Laurie.

" It wasn't big, it wasn't small. It depends on your opinion of size."

Laurie groaned inwardly. She hated guessing games. The look on her face must have said something, because Bea gave her a strange look, and handed her a 20 dollar bill.

" Now leave me alone," she told her granddaughter. Laurie didn't have to be told twice. She took the bill and nearly ran from the kitchen table.

" Cheapskate," muttered Bea.

**T7S**

" Okay, so we'll go down to the basement and wait for mom there," Eric told the others.

" Are you stupid?" asked Hyde. " Red will kill us! Jackie's the only one of us he's ever came close to liking!"

" Oh, it's okay… I'll just tell Kitty I fell… while teaching Donna how to cheer!"

" Yeah, Jackie, real believable," said Kelso. Hyde punched him.

" You're the reason we have to do this in the first place!" said Hyde. "Jackie, we should just take you to the hospital."

" You know I don't have insurance! I can't do that!" she replied.

" Okay, okay, stop. Just stop." said Donna. Trying to distract the fighters, she looked around.

" Why don't we order something to eat while we're here?" she asked.

" Yeah, Steven, I'm hungry," said Jackie. That caught Hyde's attention.

" I'm gonna get a burger," he told her. " You want the fries?"

" Sure." she said. " And the pickles."

Kelso got up and ordered too. Donna and Eric split a soda, while Fez continued with his candy bag. Within the next 15 minutes, everyone had calmed down a bit.

" You guys, I wanna go back to the basement," whined Jackie, who looked unwell.

" I'm gonna head home for the night," said Kelso, ignoring the looks he was receiving from everyone else. " Fez, are you coming with me?"

Fez crossed his arms. " Not until you apologize to this goddess." he stated.

An idea was starting to form in Kelso's mind. " I will… tomorrow!" he said, and ran out the door of the Hub.

" You guys, I must go home for the night," said Fez, who had now turned an odd shade of green. " My candy friends are betraying me," he told them, and followed Kelso, running.

" That was… odd," said Jackie.

" Kelso's gonna do something stupid." stated Donna.

" I've got ten on him lighting himself on fire." Hyde replied.

" I'm with you on that," said Eric.

" Can we go?" Jackie asked again.

" Okay, but we're going to have to do something about your ankle until my mom gets back," Eric told her.

Hyde let her lean on him and hobble out the door, where she curled up next to him on the ride home, but with her one leg stretched out to the side.

**T7S**

Back in the basement, Jackie was stretched out on the couch, a frozen bag of peas covering her ankle. She was whimpering softly, for all this moving from place to place was making her feel worse. A loud noise from the floor above broke her out of her daze.

" They're home." said Hyde, and before anyone could respond to him, he was off the couch and halfway up the stairs.

Kitty was in the kitchen, making herself a drink. Apparently it hadn't gone too well with her mother, for Hyde saw multiple ingredients out on the counter. He made loud, slow, stomping steps, to alert Kitty of his presence. She had just shoved everything into a counter by the time he got to the kitchen.

" Hello, Steven, what can I do for you?" asked Kitty.

" Well, um, Mrs. Forman, I don't know how to say this, but Jackie kinda hurt her ankle doing… something, and I'd like to know if it was okay with you to take a look at it," he said, looking down at the floor.

" Oh, sweetie, sure! Just let me get some of my supplies, and I'll be down in a jiffy!" she chirped.

He sighed. Now that he would know what was wrong, all he could hope was that she would be okay.

**T7S**

" Jackie, you're very lucky you didn't break your ankle." said Kitty, who was now in nurse mode. " What were you doing exactly?"

" Um, I was… teaching Donna how to cheerlead!" she said, with fake enthusiasm.

" Well, it looks like the time Michael fell off the water tower and he came… did you fall off the water tower?" Kitty asked. Jackie blushed. She didn't want to be known as clumsy!

" Well, to be fair, Kelso kinda pushed her," said Donna.

" Kitty gasped, but resumed to examine Jackie. " Okay," she said. " Now this part is going to hurt a bit," she said, grabbing an ace bandage.

As she wrapped up Jackie's ankle, Hyde saw the color drain from her face. He grabbed her hand, which she squeezed tightly. When Kitty was done, she stepped back and pulled an aspirin from her pocket, which Jackie gladly accepted.

" Now, what you need is some bed rest and some TLC," she said, like a mother would to her child. " Let's get you back to Donna's, okay?" she said.

Jackie reached out to Hyde, who scooped her up. It embarrassed her to be carried like this in front of Kitty. As they went out the door, she found way to get comfortable. Across the driveway, she felt content. Not just any old boyfriend would do this for her.

Digging her keys out of her pocket, she handed them to Hyde. He got her up to Donna's room, and waited for her outside the bathroom when she went to freshen up. Linking arms with her, he let her hop across the hall, to which he then scooped her up to deposit her in bed. She let out a small laugh, and sat up.

" Thanks," she said, just above a whisper, and leaned in to kiss him. It was the kind of kiss between them that made her feel like she had butterflies in her.

" No problem," he replied. It really wasn't a problem for him. He walked over and flicked off the light in Donna's room, and as he walked down the stairs and she lay in bed, all they could do was recount what had happened that day.

**T7S**

She was sore all over.

Jackie didn't get why she let Michael convince her to come outside, or why he had her come outside at 8 at night. She had slept until noon, and only got up because Hyde had delivered a pair of crutches from Kitty's attic to her.

She sat on a blanket in the Forman's backyard, with absolutely no clue as to what was to happen, except for Hyde kept muttering something about money. The mid May night was still cool, but Hyde had draped his jacket over her shoulders.

That was when she heard it. A loud BANG! And she looked around to see where it had came from. She could see the fireworks going off, with more BANG's every second. Then she heard a cry of pain from Kelso, and saw him run into the yard, his pant leg on fire.

Hyde came out of nowhere, with a bucket of water to douse him with, Eric followed.

" What, what just happened?" Jackie asked.

" Well, he tried to spell out ' I'm sorry Jackie', in fireworks," said Hyde.

" He spelled 'sorry' wrong," added Eric.

" I wish Fez was here to see this," said Eric.

" We learned a lesson today." said Hyde solemnly. He paused for effect. " Never give Fez a whole bag of candy all at once."

" And always keep a bucket of water ready around Kelso." added Jackie.

" You got it," he said, and the two shared a kiss as the last of the fireworks went off


	9. Chapter 09

June was upon Point Place, and the members of the basement group were feeling the heat. Jackie sat, using her magazine as a fan, and sighed. The boys all had popsicles in their hands, and Donna wasn't even there. She had mentioned something about a pool and left.

Laurie was out and about, making up for lost time away from Point Place. _Right now I'd kill for one of her whorey outfits, _thought Jackie. _At least I'd be cool. _

Her ankle was fine by now, and she was glad. She didn't like feeling so needy.

" Ai, I can't take this anymore!" said Fez. " I've gone through an entire box of popsicles, and do I feel any better? No! It's like summer in my home country!"

" Fez, nowhere is as hot as your home country," retorted Jackie.

" Stop bickering." came from Eric.

" We're not," replied Jackie.

" It's just too hot," complained Fez.

" I'm done." said Kelso. " I have to cool off," and with that he left.

And then there were four.

Five more minutes passed. " Oh, I give up." said Jackie. "I'm leaving."

Jackie bolted from her seat and out the basement door. A few seconds later Hyde heard a loud shriek.

" MICHAEL!" he heard Jackie yell. Heading outside, he saw her, soaked head to toe, standing next to Kelso, who was equally soaked and had the Forman's hose in his hand.

" Aw, I thought she was wearing a light colored shirt," came Kelso's reply. Instead of frogging him, he had a better idea. Pinning Kelso's arms behind his back, he tossed the hose to Jackie, and she sprayed Kelso in the face until he was crying out for mercy.

" Hey," said Kelso, " at least you're cool."

" I see why Donna went to the pool," said Jackie.

" These remind me of the days we used to spend at the lake," Kelso told them. " Except instead of spraying me, you'd dunk me. Over and over and over."

" I can see we killed a few- a lot of brain cells doing that." said Hyde.

" You guys, we should go to the lake again!" squealed Jackie. " For like, the fourth of July or something. It's three weeks away,"

" That actually sounds like a good idea," said Hyde. " Anything to get out of here,"

" We should invite Charlie," said Kelso.

" He won't go anywhere without Suzy anymore," replied Jackie, " So we have to invite her."

" Hey, what's going on out here?" inquired Eric. " my mom's complaining about low water pres-Kelso!"

" What, are you going to yell at me?"

" No," said Eric, " I'm gonna ask you to spray me,"

After Eric was good and soaked, Jackie explained her idea to him. He nodded along, also fascinated by the sound of the cool woods. When she was done, he went back inside to see if he could reach Donna and ask for her opinion.

Jackie spun back around to face Hyde. As she took a step towards him, she felt her feet squishing around in her shoes. " Hey, I'm going to head back upstairs and change." she told him, and turned to walk away.

He stopped her. " I'm gonna go to Grooves. WB isn't cheap enough to skimp on air conditioning. You wanna come with?"

" Now why didn't you mention this earlier?" she demanded. He took this as a yes. She skipped past the hedges between the two houses, and was then out of sight.

" He went and turned the hose off, and when he got back to the driveway Jackie was waiting for him. When Kelso came back out, he got in the Vista Cruiser with Fez and Eric and they drove off. Jackie and Hyde followed.

**T7S**

" Okay, whatever you do, don't sit on the couch," said Jackie. " I don't want _my _couch all wet and icky.

" Jackie, it's not your couch." called Hyde from the back room.

" Whatever." She headed for the headset.

" I wish Donna was here," said Eric.

" Did someone say my name?" Donna stood, with the front door to Grooves still pushed open by her.

" Meeee," said Eric.

" I got the note, Eric," she addressed him. " What were you talking about?"

Eric tapped Jackie on the shoulder. She jumped, apparently too involved in her music to notice what was going on.

Looking up, she saw Donna, her blonde braid down her back, and her swim clothes still on, with shorts and a tank top on over them.

_Ugh, why did Donna have to dye her hair? It looks so bad! I can't believe I liked it better when it was red! _she thought. _And her shoes. They're too flat._

" So, what was Eric talking about?" she asked. Jackie quickly explained everything.

" That sounds fun. I mean, when Eric and I go to UW in the fall, we're not gonna have time for things like these," she added.

" Okay, so it's all set!" squeaked Jackie. She clapped her hands together.

" Remember the last time there, and how stupid we all acted?" chimed in Fez. " Hell, I even married Laurie that day!"

A slight amount of discomfort settled in among the gang members. They remembered all the bad things happening back then, and both Jackie and Hyde were thinking about how stupid they had acted that day and the days prior.

Donna noticed the tension between them, and wracked her brain for something to say. " Do you remember all the games of truth or dare we played there as kids?"

" Remember that time I poked Forman's tent with a stick and made growling noises and he ran out screaming about a bear?" said Hyde.

Everyone laughed at that memory, but Fez only scowled. " I don't have any good memories of this stuff! I did not know my American friends back then…"

" Aww, Fezzie, I didn't hang out with them until I was in high school. However, I _do _remember the bear incident. How old were you Eric, 16?" Jackie inquired.

" Shut up, she devil," he said, and mumbled something else. Donna laughed.

" Donna, will you take me home? Besides, you're dripping water all over my floor," she said.

" Jackie, it's not your floor." came from Hyde.

" Be quiet, Steven," she said, and left.

" I'm not leaving because she told me to," Donna said, and shrugged her shoulders.

About thirty seconds later, Jackie walked back in. " Steven, will you take me home?"

He sighed.


	10. Chapter 10

Donna shut the trunk she just loaded and turned around. " Hey, have you seen Charlie? Or Suzy?" she asked Eric, who was busy trying to carry tent materials out of the house.

" Nope, but if they ever show up, we're not gonna have the room for them!" he exclaimed.

" Oh, crap! You're right!" said Donna. She started to pace. So, we're gonna have to rearrange the stuff in the back, or we can squeeze everyone together, or…"

She didn't get the chance to finish, for then a car pulled up. Suzy hopped out of the drivers seat, and dragged Charlie through the drivers door. _They're just like Donna and Eric, _Jackie thought to herself, smiling.

Hyde opened the door and slid in next to her. " Man, I'm glad you don't act like that," he said, pointing to the couple.

" I don't act like that because it's pathetic to have a boyfriend like that," she replied.

" True." he agreed with her.

She leaned back and sighed. " It's way too hot. I am so glad we're leaving." Jackie told him.

" I'm just glad to get out of this crappy town," Hyde said. WB's been complaining about every freaking way I run the store."

" Aw," said Jackie, who then pouted. " That's not fair! It's your store.

Before Hyde could respond, Donna flung open the car door. " We need you two outside. Now." she said, and they climbed out.

When everyone had gathered, Donna started to talk. " Okay, we have 8 of us. With luggage, the Vista Cruiser seats 5. Now, Fez here, has volunteered to drive his car, but two lucky people get to sit with him. Any takers?"

Everyone stepped back, for no one wanted to ride with him. The seats of his car were sticky from melted candy, and the floor was littered with wrappers. Besides, who wanted to be stuck in a car with _Fez_ for an hour?

"I take my own car!" cried out Eric, who then ran for the drivers seat.

" Shotgun!" came from Kelso, who dove for the door.

Suzy started running, dragging Charlie behind her. Hyde grabbed Jackie's arm, and the two started to run.

Donna lept through the open door, securing the last spot for herself. Locking the door behind her, she laughed.

" Crap." was all Jackie was able to say. Hyde was trying to drag Kelso from his seat through the open window, but it was no use.

" Come on, you guys get to sit with me! Isn't that great?" said Fez.

" Um, no." said Jackie, who hopped over to Fez's car and gingerly opened the door. She sat down. " it's just so… sticky."

" If you could react faster, we wouldn't be in this mess!" exclaimed Hyde.

And so they spent a very horrible hour in a car that smelled like grape candy, and the highest point (or lowest) of the trip was when Fez started playing Abba. Until he sang along.

As Jackie unloaded her stuff, she cast an evil glance toward Donna.

"To the lake!" shouted Kelso. He tore off his shirt, and kicked off his shoes as he started running.

Eric and Fez followed, with Charlie close behind. Hyde helped unload, while the girls pitched a tent to change in.

" Steven, why didn't you go?" asked Jackie.

" Because," he replied, " I only own one pair of shorts, and I swim in them. I really don't want to have to wear them longer than I need to.

Suzy came out of the tent. " Well, see ya." she said, and started walking.

" Suzy!" Donna called out. " The lake's that way." she pointed in the opposite direction.

" Oh… I knew that she said, and dashed off.

Jackie changed next. Walking toward the lake, she turned around to see Donna come out of the tent, in her swimsuit. The one she was wearing when Jackie had an idea.

Jackie smiled, and slipped off her shoes in the sand. Not wanting to ruin her pedicure, she took dainty steps towards the small dock.

" Jackie, it's freezing!" called out Fez. This gave her second thoughts about getting in. staring at the lake from the edge of the dock, she sighed.

_It's so pretty. _Jackie thought. _And perfect and blue and cold and-_ Her thoughts were cut off when she heard footsteps behind her. As she went to turn around, she felt a hand go to her back and one to her thighs. Being scooped up, Jackie could only come to one conclusion. She was being thrown in.

Turning around, she saw that it was Hyde. The feeling of betrayal came to her, then weightlessness. Grabbing at Hyde's shirt, she tried to pull him in with her.

**T7S**

He wasn't expecting this. Being pulled at threw him forwards, off balance, just enough for the girl he threw in to pull him in with her.

Hitting the water with a splash, the freezing cold water felt like icy daggers. Jackie let out a shriek, followed by a chant of " It's cold, It's cold, It's cold cold cold."

" STEVEN!" She yelled, very mad. She leaned back, and kicked rapid fire splashes at him. Shielding himself, he saw Donna sitting on the dock with a smirk on her face. Pulling off his soaking wet shirt, he threw it at her feet.

" Whyyyy," Jackie whined.

" Because," he replied, " If I didn't, I'd have to listen to ' Steven, it's too cold, Steven I don't want to mess up my hair' and multiple others."

She splashed him again. Donna stood up, threw her arms back, and jumped, pulling her knees to her chest, and landing in a perfect cannonball, succeeding in getting Jackie and Hyde soaked again.

" Donna, can't you act _normal _every once in a while?" asked Jackie.

" I just did." replied Donna. "I could have belly flopped."

Swimming was a good way to cool off, and an even better way to stay happy, on an afternoon that got incredibly hot.

When everyone had gotten out and had dried off, Eric pulled the cooler he brought out and distributed sandwiches. The eight of them sat in silence on the lakefront as they watched the sun sink lower in the sky.

" You know, that was really mean throwing me in the lake earlier," said Jackie. She shivered at the memory.

" Whatever." he replied.

" You know, now that shirt's gonna smell like lake every time you wear it." she told him.

" Crap."

Fez came out through the woods with a pile of sticks. " Great, now we have firewood, can we roast marshmallows and have chocolate and graham crackers?" asked Fez.

Kelso pulled out a lighter. " You don't have to ask me twice."

Jackie followed them. " It'll be nice to warm up by a fire after being thrown in _a freezing cold lake!_" Jackie exclaimed.

Hyde pulled her back. "I'm not letting you get burned. Literally. Figuratively, not so much,"

Jackie started walking back to her tent, with Hyde following her. All of a sudden, they heard rustling in the woods.

Hyde pulled Jackie out of the way, for Kelso came running down the path with a large log engulfed in flames. They heard a splash behind them

" I told you." was all Hyde was able to say. He wrapped an arm around Jackie as they walked back.

Jackie grabbed a sweater from her bag, and sat down on a log next to Hyde. Eric distributed metal sticks for marshmallow roasting, and as everyone gathered around the abnormally large fire, they began to relax.

" Hey, does anyone remember the time my parents took us here when we were ten?" asked Eric. " We did all the same things we do now."

Half the group nodded at the memory, while the other half just imagined what had gone on.

" Remember when Kelso got lost in the woods?" asked Hyde.

" Yeah," said Donna. " We could hear you crying out for help."

"It's not funny! I seriously thought I was going to die!" Kelso exclaimed.

After that, everyone mainly broke up. The guys started to pitch a tent. Donna sprawled out in the girl's tent, leaving some room for Suzy, none for Jackie. Squeezed up against the tent wall, Jackie got up.

Grabbing her sleeping bag and pillow, she went over to the back of the Vista Cruiser. Noticing the back was already open, she inched forward. She jumped when she herd movement. Leaning forward, she saw Hyde in the back.

" Crap, Steven, you scared me!" she said.

" Maybe that was my goal all along," he said.

" No, I think we might share a goal here." she said.

" It's awful in there, man." He said. " Kelso reeks of lake, there's no room, and Charlie's complaining of how all the marshmallows are ' upsetting his stomach'."

"Oh," she said. " I just wanted some more room."

Jackie closed up the back. The two of them fit, but barely. Hyde picked up the zipper for her sleeping back, and unzipped it. Throwing it down on the floor, he climbed on top, throwing his over them.

" Thanks." she said. He wrapped his arm around her and pointed up with the other one. Through the sunroof you could see the starry night perfectly, and the two stargazed until they fell asleep.


End file.
